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Jimmy Page: ‘Stairway’ lawsuit is ‘ridiculous’

LAWSUIT:Jimmy Page calls claims that "Stairway to Heaven" was lifted from another band "ridiculous." Photo: Associated Press

Jimmy Page has broken his silence about an ongoing plagiarism lawsuit filed by a lawyer representing the late Randy California against Led Zeppelin, insisting the drama is “ridiculous.”

Attorney Francis Alexander Molofiy is attempting to take the British rockers to court over claims his client, late Spirit musician Randy California, was the inspiration for Led Zeppelin’s biggest hit “Stairway to Heaven.”

He alleges the 1971 single was lifted from Spirit’s 1968 song “Taurus,” and he is hoping to prevent the band from releasing a remastered version of the album Led Zeppelin IV, which features the track, until his late client is properly credited.

Asked about the claims, Page responded, “That’s ridiculous. I have no further comment on the subject.”

It is unclear if Molofiy has won the blessing of California’s estate to pursue the credit, but he isn’t the first to note the similarities between the two tunes – Led Zeppelin performed with Spirit in the late 1960s and California called “Stairway to Heaven” a “rip-off” before his death, adding, “The guys made millions of bucks on it and never said, ‘Thank you’, never said, ‘Can we pay you some money for it?'”

Malofiy’s case against the band took a hit earlier this month when a judge accused the lawyer of behaving in a “unprofessional” and “offensive” way in a similar suit against Usher.

Representing a songwriter called Dan Marino, Malofiy accused Usher and 19 other defendants of copyright infringement regarding the song Bad Girl, which Marino claimed he wrote. (MT&KL/WNWC